Coast Guard searches for missing Florida family in Gulf

The man, his 13 and 15-year-old teenage sons, and 17-year-old teenage daughter were last heard from Sunday morning. The family hasn’t been seen since.

The debris was found 33 nautical miles off the coast of Sanibel Island, Florida. The debris included life vests, a tarp, 4 water bottles tied together, a basketball, at least one tennis shoe and a propane tank.

And while rescuers also found six life jackets, there were seven on the boat, the Coast Guard captain said. They were being buffeted by six-foot waves off the shore of Englewood and were “attempting to survive”, the Coast Guard said in a statement. At that time, Ace told his brother they had encountered rough seas and thunderstorms.

The search continues. Two kayaks being towed by the boat have not been found. They are asking the public to be on the sharp lookout for the missing boat. “We are doing everything we can and throwing everything we can at this search at this time”.

The Coast Guard received a report from a concerned family member Tuesday and began its search. The Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte county sheriff’s offices have all been assisting, along with the Sarasota Police Department.

The 29-foot boat disappeared off the coast of Englewood, according to the coast guard.